The present invention relates to an improved joystick control. In the prior art, joystick controls are well known. Those joysticks known to applicant are extremely cumbersome in their design and require the control rod to be connected to a large control box which control box contains the associated switch elements. The following prior art is known to Applicant:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,542 to Shumway discloses a joystick device including a main housing 10 having a start button 20 and a joystick 16 movable with respect thereto. In Shumway, four switches are disclosed including respective contacts 86, 90, 94 and 98 which may be actuated either singly or doubly so as to enable the movement of a displayed object in any one of eight directions. Shumway discloses that the upper portions of the switches are moved by the pressure plate 24 to actuate the switches.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,648 to Reiner, et al. discloses a joystick type controller including switches 12 and wherein a pressure plate 22 integrally associated with the handle 20 bears upon the upper contacts of the switches 12 so as to actuate them.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,325 to Bersheim discloses a game control apparatus including a handle 11 having a trigger 12 and a push button 13 thereon and which actuates connecting rods 17 and 18 as well as control shaft 16, all of which are clearly seen to be below the handle 11.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 271,220 to Fox, et al. discloses a video game joystick apparatus having a button at the top thereof and a housing below the handle portion having indicia indicative of directions which apparently pertain to a display which directions are controlled by the housing below the handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,303 to Martin is a further example of a joystick controller which is believed to be of only general interest.